trichotomy

/tษนaษชหˆkษ’t.ษ™.mi/

IPA: /T R AY0 K AA1 T AH0 M IY0/

noun
  1. 1

    Division or separation into three groups or pieces.

  2. 2

    The property of an order relation whereby, given an ordered pair of elements (of a given algebraic structure), exactly one of these is true: the first element is 'less than' the second one, the second is 'less than' the first, or the two elements are equal.

Source: https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/trichotomy